Multi-cellular rocket package



May 21, 1957 E. H. GRANFELT MULTI-CELLULAR ROCKET PACKAGE Filed Oct. 21, 1955 I Fig. 1

Fig. 2

2,792,962 MULTI-CELLULAR ROCKET PACKAGE Ernest H. Granfelt, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application October 21, 1955, Serial No. 542,122 7 Claims. (Cl. 220--21) (Granted under Title 35', U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a multi-cellular rocket; package, and more particularly to a multi-cellular rocket package comprising a light weight disposable container for airborne rockets characterized by conservation of weight, space and materials, yet capable of withstanding the substantial stresses induced therein by the high loads imposed thereon during flight.

Airborne expendable rocket launchers have been built previously using heavy pasteboard tubes enclosed in a However, this type of ex used in assembling the paper tube launchers presently available causes the deposit of a plastic on firing contacts which frequently results in launcher malfunctioning when an attempt is made to fire rockets enclosed therein.

The instant invention contemplates an expendable rocket launcher package composed of a plurality of polygonal elongated units made from moisture resistant material and secured together by a suitable adhesive.

An object of the present invention is the provision of expendable rocket launcher packages highly resistant to the adverse effect of moisture and temperature changes accompanying atmospheric changes.

Another object is to provide an expendable rocket launcher package composed of high strength, light weight structural elements occupying a minimum space.-

Still another object is the provision of an expendable rocket launcher package suitable as a shipping container for rockets.

A final object is the provision of an expendable rocket launcher package subject to low fatigue effects due to the. absence of rivets or other concentrated fastening means therein.

Qther objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a simplified plan view of a rocket launcher package incorporating the instant invention,

Fig. 2 is an isometric view partly broken away, of the central section of a rocket launcher package showing details of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, and

ate f Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing another embodiment of the instant invention.

Referring next to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like or corresponding parts, and particularly to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a typical airborne rocket launcher package including a faired forward end portion 12 and a faired rearward end portion 12' releasably attached to the opposite ends of and thus enclosing an open ended central body portion 14 to enclose and support a plurality of rockets.

Referring next to Fig. 2 which illustrates structural details of a central body portion 14 of a rocket launcher package 10 which has been constructed according to the teachings of the instant invention, the central body portion shown includes a plurality of elongated chambers formed by a series of semi-hexagonal stampings arranged in pairs and nested together to enclose and support a plurality of rockets (not shown). These semi-hexagonal stampings 21 may be fabricated from a relatively light but strong material such as aluminum or other light metallic or non-metallic material having suitable characteristics as to its weight, strength and rigidity. Alternatively, the respective chambers 20 may be formed by lengths of hexagonally shaped extruded tubing 21?, as shown in Fig. 3, made of suitable material, such as aluminum. The pairs of semi-hexagonal stampings 21, or the lengths of hexagonally shaped extruded tubing 21' which may be substituted therefor, are preferably interconnected in the manner described below by the use of a high strength metal adhesive sprayed on all external surfaces thereof. The plurality of chambers 20 formed in this manner is enclosed in a pre-shaped external shell 22 composed of suitable sheet material such as aluminum or a suitable plastic and secured to the elements defining the respective chambers 20 by the metal adhesive applied to all mating surfaces. In order to fill the irregularly shaped voids immediately beneath the shell 22, suitably shaped filler strips 23 may be combined with the shell 22 as shown in Fig. 2 to form an outer shell assembly having the like, serve to maintain the faired contours of the.

shell 22 under aerodynamic loads and also serve to protect and support rockets contained within their respective chambers 20, particularly when the central body por-' tion 14 is used as a shipping container. In addition, these filler strips 23 are effective to absorb induced shear stresses.

Aside from the numerous advantages of the instant invention with respect to savings in space and weight and with respect to its inherent resistance to dimensional variations in the various chambers, the configuration of the instant invention lends itself to simplified fabricating procedures resulting in a substantial saving in man-hours. For example, the semi-polygonal stampings or polygonally shaped extruded tubing may be assembled on floating mandrels after all external surfaces thereof have been sprayed with a metal adhesive. Thereafter, the preshaped external shell may be clamped around the assembled elements after its inner surface is likewise sprayed with a metal adhesive and after the respective filler strips 23 have been inserted, as shown in Fig. 2. With all of the elements thus secured in mutual engagement, the resultant assembly may be oven cured at the proper temtral body portion 14 which forms the major component of the rocket launcher package illustrated in Fig. 1.

Thus, the instant invention provides a rocket launcher Patented May 21, 1957 package which is compact and light weight and impervious to the adverse effects of moisture and temperature changes in the surrounding atmosphere, yet capable of withstanding both the shock loads encountered when it is used asa shipping container for rockets and the aerodynamic loads encountered in flight and the loads imposed thereon when the rockets are fired therefrorn.- Tolerancevariations-are inherently well controlled in either the semi-polygonal stampings or in the lengths of extruded tubing due to the manner in which these elements areinterfitted and bonded on all mating surfaces and the resulting assembly is subject to negligible variation with changes in the moisture content or temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, so that the proper clearance for a rocket is initially provided and permanently maintained in each chamber of the central body portion of 'a rocket launcher package constructed according to these teachings. In addition, the use of an adhesive over the entire areaof all mating surfaces instead of rivets or other concentrated fastening means results in extremely light weight structural elements highly resistant to fatigue failure. 7

The paired semi-polygonal stamping illustrated in Fig. 2 may be replaced with accurately formed lengths or" polygonally shaped extruded tubing 21', as shown in Fig. 3, to eliminate the joints between the stampings and thereby provide increased strength of the assembly. Fig.3 also illustrates one alternate configuration capable of accommodating an increased number of rockets comprising'an enlarged central body portion 14' with a modified cross-sectional shape in which anincreased number of chambers 20 formed by lengths of tubing 21 are enclosed by an enlarged pre-shaped external shell 22'. As in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, this embodiment may also be provided with filler strips 23 shaped to fill the spaces between the assembled elements 21 and the shell .22. This configuration will also require modified end portions, not shown.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It'is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is;

l. A light weight high strength multi-ce'lliilar structure for use as a container and supporting-means for a plurality of elongated'gene'rally cylindrical object's, said structiire including a plurality of elongated polygonal hollow members open at both ends each consisting of shaped thin'sheet material and grouped together in mutually adjaccnt' positions, a tubular outer shell assembly open at both ends and having an inner surface shaped andarranged to encircle and interen'gage the peripheral outer surfaces of the grouped hollow members, said hollow members being arranged so that the entire outer surface of each-hollow member is disposed'in contact with portions of the outer surface of adjacent hollow members or portions of the inner surface of the outer shell assembly, and a suitable adhesive coating extending over the entire outer surface of each hollow member andover the entire inner surface of said outer shell assembly and effective to permanently interconnect all contacting surfaces and thereby form an open ended rigid unitary structure.

2. A device as described in claim 1, in which each elongated polygonal hollow member includesian identical pair of opposed half sections compose'd'of 'angularly intersecting generally planar portions shaped and arranged'sothat the-adjacent edges of thefrespfect'ivehalf sections spaced apart by a substantially uniform small amount lie in a common'plane, and in which allof'the hollow members are' so disposed that the discontinuities between the re'sp'ective half sectionsof each" hollow "mern ber coincide with" the uninterrupted planar'surfaces of adjacent hen-owmembers.

3. A light weight high strength multi-cellular structure for use as a container and supporting means for a plurality of elongated generally cylindrical objects, said structure including a plurality of elongated polygonal hollow members each-consisting of shaped thin sheet material and grouped together in mutually adjacent parallel positions, a plurality of elongated solid filler elements disposed parallel to and in engagement with peripherally disposed hollow members, an outer shell composed of sheet material, said hollow membersand said solid elements being arranged so that the entire outer surface of each hollow member and each solid element is disposed in contact with portions of the outer surface of adjacent hollow members or portions of the outer shell, and a suitable adhesive coating extending over the entire outer surface of each hollow member and each filler element and over the entire inner surface of said outer shell and efiective to permanently interconnect all contacting surfaces and thereby form 'a rigid unitary structure.

4. A device as described in claim 3, in which each clongated polygonal hollow member includes an identical pair of opposed half sections shaped and arranged so that'the adjacent edges of the respectivehalf sections lie in acjommon plane, and in which all of the hollow members are so disposed that the discontinuities between the respective.

half sections of each hollow member donot'coincide with the discontinuities between the respective half sections" of any adjacent hollow member. p

5. A device as described in claim 3, in which each elongated polygonal hollow member consists of a pair of opposed half sections shaped and arranged so that the adjacent edges of the respective half sections lie in a common plane, and in which all of the hollow members are so disposed so that the discontinuities between the respective half sections of each hollow member coincide with uninterrupted surfaces of adjacent hollow members.

6, A light weight high strength multi-cellularstructure for use as a container and supporting means for a plurality of elongated generally cylindrical objects, said structure including a plurality of elongated'hexagonal hollow members each consisting of shaped thin sheet ma terial and grouped together in parallel positions, a plu rality of elongated solid filler elements disposed parallel to and in engagement-with said hollow members, a fa'ired outer shell composed of sheet material, saidhollow members and said so'lid elements being arranged so that the entireoutersurfa'ce' of each hollow member and each solid element is disposed in contact with portions of the outer surface of adjacent hollow members or portions of the outer shell, and a suitable adhesive coating extending over the entire outersurface of each hollow member and each filler element and over the entire inner surface of said outer shell effective to permanently interconnect all contacting surfaces annd thereby form a rigid unitary structure.

7. A device as described in claim 6, inwhich each elongated hexagonal hollow member includes an identical pair of opposed longitudinally extending half sections shaped and arranged so that the adjacent edge portions'of the respective half sections lie in a common planegand in which all of the hollow members are so disposed that the edge portions of the respective half sections of each hollow memberenga'ge the central portions of the adjacent half sections of juxtaposed hollow members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

